Closure actuating and locking mechanism



June 12, 1945. c, yE ARTHUR 2,3 78,119

- cLosURE AGTUATING AND LocKING MECHANISM Filed June 2B, 1943 2 Shee S-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR. CHnRLe-s' E. A277' w? TTORNEX June 12, 1945. C ARTHUR 2,378,119

CLOSURE ACTUATING AND LOCKING MECHANISM Filed June 28, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheefc 2 INVENTOR. CRA/:LES E. RTHUQ 4 wa-J Patented June 12, 1945 oLosURE AOTUATING AND LocKING i MECHANISM v Charles E. Arthur,fNapa, Calif. Application June 28, 1948, seriali No; 492,561l

10 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in quick closing bulkhead closures; p

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a quick actng, water tight doorrequiring a mimmum-of time for closing and'aminimum of torque on the closing handle for the latching'operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel form vof closing ,means which distributes the closing torque on the handle in a moreeven flow from the unlocked to the locked position.v

I Another object o f my invention is to provide a multiple-looking dog type of closure meansV in whichione or more of the lookingv dogsrnay be disconnected Without nterfering with .the actu`- ation and functioning of the remaining looking dogs by the closing handle. p Another object of my invention is to providea looking mechanism by which lthe length of travel of the several locking 'arms may be varied with respect to each other.

Another object of my invention 'is to provide each looking arm with a locking dog, movable automatically thereinl as the looking arm moves into orA away from the locked position;

Another object of my invention isto provide automatic means forV latching andimmobilizing the door looking means whenever the door` is swungaway from-the bulkhead frame and for automatically freeing said looking mechanism as the door is swung back into closed position preparatory tobeing locked. v

p Another object. of my invention vvis to provide locking dogs'which relieve wear on the door frame as wellas on each dog, by rotating said dog as it proceeds =throughthe full locking or unlocking movement.

Another object of my inventionis to' so arrange thelocking arms,vtheir links and actuating .spider member thatlwhen in 'locked position the lines of force are directly between centers so that the door cannot be unlocked except by movement of the handle.

Other objects and advantages of my. invention.

will become` clear fromv the following description taken in connection with the drawings. It is not intendedthat my invention shallbe limited to thelpartvicular shape, form, or construction of any of the parts except as limited by the claims appended. .o i

' Inl the drawings, 1 isV a view in Vertical elevation of the door in locked position looking .from the inside;

2,isra. v,iew partly in cross section taken on the'line'lI-II Fig...1

position;l .i ,i

showing the door in locked Fig. 3 is a similar view of one lookingv arm released and with the door free to open in the direction of the arrow; I

i lFig. 4 is a view, of the parts shown in Fig.

5 looking at them from the left; vand, i

' Fig. 5 is a view like Fig. 3 onthe hinge side of the door.

My invention is particularly applicable to doors used von destroyers and other battle craft where closing in split-second timeis an pe'ssental, and

with the minimum of torque required Non the handle. I

Ona battleship, the bulkheadlO is provided 'Jwith a frame llhaving the face |2,`stif`fene`r |3 and inturned flange |4. Between the latterftwo parts a resilient gasket |5 is provided to take care of .unevenness between the door frame and the doorfiange |6 and to make a water tight fit.

The door is hinged to frame at 2|, 2|. 20 The vdoor proper may be made in any form. For illustration,`1`have shown one formed up from a sheet of metal andv having the main bodyV portion 20 with .the flanges |6 ben't up -to form a continuous rim and bent back on itself to provide the strengthening fiange 22. Suitable ribs 23 give additional rigidity to the door as well as vto provide bearing points for the lockng arms 3B. A vertical strengthening rib 24 provides 'a c'onvenient i place' for attachingthe bearing boss 25 to hold i the actuating mechanism. i

`For purposes of description, I have illustrated a Adoor having eight looking arms `3|) pivoted on pins l3| at equally spaced points around the periphery of the door. On large doorsthere would be more of these looking arms, whereas on smaller doors or hatches there mightV be fewer.

- Each looking arm 30 includes the arm portion 32 with the offset 33 having in it the threaded hole 34. The looking arm 30 shown in the drawings ,40 hasthe lower portion of arm 32 divid'ed to embrace both sides of the rib 23 to whichvitrs pivoted by the pin 3|. In practice, it may vor inay not lbe made in exactly ,this way. As shown in Fig. 3, thelocking'ar'm and offset portion 33 shoum'be pivoted at 3| so that itcan swing into the position shown, thereby clearing the 'corner of *flanges `|2 and H on the door frame Pig. 3 illustrates the clearance needed' at the'side of the door away from the hinges 2|. On 'the hin'ed 59 side it 'is not necessary that the looking arm 30 swing clear of the dotted line 35 (Fig. 3) because there the door 20 moves around the corner of fiange 14 with the hinge pintle as its center. Fig.

5 shows the lesser movement-required for lockz?? ins arms 307011, the hinged side Ofthe doort This difference in arc of movement of looking arms 30 on the hinge side of the door as distinguished from the other edge of the door becomes important when we oonsider the matter of keeping the closing torque at a minimum and this purpose is faoilitated by moving the looking arms 30 through different degrees of aro.

In the threaded offset 33 on each looking arm is threaded a looking dog 36 having a head 31 with a hole adapted to receive a pin 38 which also passes through the yoke 40 having a threaded end 4| adapted to receive link 42'. The thread on the threaded looking dog 36 may be at a pitoh ohosen to give the desired olamping effect as fits ball face end 39 rotates in contact with the door frame face |2. I have found that a thread which will give about V8 of an inch movement of the ball 39 in and out of the threaded offset 33 works satisfactorily.

In addition to providing a further tightening effect between the door and the door frame the movement of ball 39 as it rotates over face |2 relieves wear and minimizes the friction requiring less closing torque. The reason is that it is a rolling as well as a sliding engagement' between these parts. The net result is that less push is required on link 42 in effecting the closing of the looking arm 30. Fig. 3 shows the ball endface 39 partially retracted into the threaded offset 33 with the looking arm in position to allow the door to open. Fig. 2 shows the ball end face 39 moved into full clamping fit. Fig. 4 shows the relative movement'of link 42 which Amovement oooperates with the threads 35 to retract or extend ball face 39 during the opening or closing operation.

On the hinge edge of the door as shown in Fig. 5, the looking arms 30 are moved a less distance and therefore there is less rotation of threaded looking dog 38 on that edge of the door;

therefore, there is less in and out movement of ball end face 39 with relation to its threaded offset 33. This is desirable because the edge of the door on the hinge side must move bodily toward the frame l2 a proportionately less distance than I looking arms 30 on the outer edge of the door.

Also, because these looking arms on the hinge edge of the door move a lesser distance, they will be driven by the 'spider drive plate with a shorter radius and therefore require less torque on the handle 84 to move them than will those on the swingingv edge of the door; The net result thus will'be thatthe torque required 'in olosing the door is minimized and is spread over a more continuous period so that it does not reach as high a point as if all the looking arms took effect on the door frame at about the same time, and had to be moved about the same distance. In other words, by varying the length of movement of the looking arms 30 on the different si'des of the door my invention makes it possible to avoid a peak torque onA handle 64 and to makel it more gradual.

The spider drive plate 50 is pivotally mounted 'on the boss 25 and held'thereon by the stud 5| and a nut 52` so that it rotates in a plane substantially parallel with the face of the door. On a door such as illustrated where there are eight looking arms two spiders may be used. The number of spiders is a. matter of the meohanio's choice in laying out a particular door. The principle of operation isthe same whether one Spider, two spiders or three or more spiders are used.

As shown in Fig. 1, each Spider pivots around stud 5! and has the bearing holes for the several links 42 spaced at varying distances from its center. For example, the top spider 50 shown in Pig. 1 has the bearing hole to receive pin'53, a lesser distance from stud 5 than the holes to receive pin 54 or pin 55 or pin 56. This means that when spider plate 50 is rotated around stud 5|, looking arm 30 and link 42'oonneoted by pin 53 will move a lesser distance and with less torque than will the looking arm 30 and link 42 connected by pin 56. The same is true with respect to the links 42 and looking arms 30 connected to spider plate 50 by pinsl 55 and 54. While the Spider plate is shown of an irregular Shape, it could be a disc orany other shape providing the holes to receive the pins 53, 54, 55 and 56, or any group of pins set at different distances from its center of rotation.

The distance between the hole for pin 53 and stud 5| is best laid out so that when the Spider plate is moved through its full intended are the look arm 30 seoured by link 42 to pin 53 will have moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, whereby the threaded offset 33 and looking dog ball 39 willswing clear of door frame H. The same is true in lay'ing out the radius or radii from stud 5| for the other pins 54, 55, and 56.

Where the door has more lookingv arms 30 than can be handled from one looking plate 50', the arrangement is shown in Fig. 1 which proves very practical. The ,lower Spider plate 50 is a duplioate of the upper one and these are each actuated by links 60, seoured by pins 6! to each Spider plate and at their other end's by pins 62 to a iever plate 63 attached to the handle 64. The distance between the handle shaft 65 and the holes to receive pins 62 is laid 'out so as to give sufiicient movement to the spider drive plates 50 so that they will move the looking arms the requis'ite distance. The handle 64 preferably moves through a degree arc between its opened and closed positions. It is also the practice to provide a handle both on the inside and on the outside of the door. In Fig. 1 the handle on the inside of the door has been omitted for purposes of clarity.,

In order to prevent acoidental movement of the looking arms before the door is swung against its frame preparatory to looking, I provide a selfactuating gravity latoh 1-8 pivoted to the door on 'a horizontal stud 1| secured to the door adjacent its hinged edge. Thelatoh has a cam face 12 and a detent 13 whichris adapted when its adjacent looking arm 3B is moved to an unlocked position and the door is opened to fallVv down into the recess 14. Thus it holds the llooking arm against any outward swinging movement and through its link 42 and the lspider plate 50 the link 60 the lever plate 63, lit securely holds the handle 64 against vmovement whenever the d'oor is swung open. i Ass'um'ingl the gravity latch ldetent 13 is in looking engagement with faceh'M of its adjaoent looking arm 30,v as the door is swung closed the cam facev'lZ will rub against door frame ll and will .lift detent 113 into the position shown in Fig. 1, thus free'ing .all the looking arms so 'that they can be -actuatedfby the handle to lock the door. If the door is unlocked 'and pulled open, cam face 12 will allow the detent 13 to drop into looking position against looking arm 30, and all the looking parts will be immobilized until the door is again swungolosed against the' ing any one of the pins 53, 54, 55 or 56 connecting a looking arm which cannot be aotuated, to leave the other looking arms free to effect their purpose.

What I olaim is:

1. In a closing and looking meohanism for doors the combination of a frame, a door hinged thereto,

a plurality of looking arms carried by said door.

around its edges and movable thereover, a handle journaled in said door, Spider drive means actuated thereby and pivoted links connecting said drive means to said looking arms, the pivoting points of said oonneotions between said drive means and said links being at different radial lengths from the center of rotation of said drive means.

2. A closing and looking meohanism for a door including a frame, a door hinged thereto, a plurality of looking arms mounted on said door for movement into contact with said frame, rotatable drive means for effecting said movement, links .conneoting said means to said looking arms,

means for varying the length of said links, a handle pivotally mounted in said door, and means connecting said handle to said rotatable drive means, the pivoting points 'of said connections between said drive means and said'links being at different radial lengths from the `center of rotato said drive plate being at varying radii, whereby some of said looking arms'move over and engage said door frame in difierent timing from others.

6. A closing and looking meohanism for a door including a frame, a door hinged thereto, a plurality of looking arms secured to said door, a handle, drive means operatvely connected to' said handle, and pivoted links connecting said drive means to said looking arms, the pivotal connection of said links to'said drive means being at varying radii, whereby some of said looking arms move over and engage said door frame in different timing from others.

'7. A closing and looking meohanism for a door including a frame, a door hinged thereto, a plurality of looking arms secured to said door, a handle, a spider drive plate connected to said handle, and pivoted links connecting said plate to said Vlooking arms, the pivotal connection of 'said links to said drive plate being at varying radii, depending upon the distance of each looking arm from the hinge line of the door, whereby some of said looking arms move over and engage said door frame in different timing from others.

8. A bulkhead closure oomprising a bulkhead frame, a closure member hinged thereto, a plurality of looking arms hinged at spaoed 'intervals around the rim of said closure means, a spider drive member pivoted to said closure means, a threaded looking dog secured in each looking arm and yadapted to engage said bulkhead frame to secure the closure means therein, means connecting said threaded looking dog with said spider drive member whereby upon rotation of the' latter said tion of said drive means. g

3. A closing and looking meohanism for a door including a frame, a door hinged thereto, a plurality of looking arms mounted onsaid door for movement into contact with said frame, rotatable drive means for effeoting said movement, links connecting said means to said lockingarms, a handle pivotally mounted in said door, and means connecting said handle to saidrotatable drive means, the connection of said links to said means being at varying radii, depending upon the distance of each looking arm from the hingeline of the door, iwhereby some of said looking arms move over and engage said door frame in different timing from others.

4. A closing and looking meohanism for a door including a frame, a door hinged thereto, a plurality of looking arms secured to said door, a handle, a Spider drive plate connected to said handle, and pivoted links connecting said plate to said looking arms, said links connecting said looking arms nearest the hinge line being conneoted nearer the center of rotation of said drive plate than the looking arms farthest from the looking arm will be moved toward or away from 'said bulkhead frame and said threaded looking dog will move relatively to said looking arm to-I ward or away Vfrom said bulkhead frame, and means for varying the length of said connecting means. i

9. A bulkhead closure comprising a bulkhead frame, a closure member hinged thereto, a plurality of looking arms hinged at spaoed intervals around the rim of said closure means, a spider drive member pivoted to said closure means, a

threaded looking dog secured in each looking arm and adapted to engage said bulkhead frame to secure the closure means therein, and means connecting said threaded looking dogs with said spider drive member Whereby upon rotation of the latter each locking arm will be moved toward or away from said| bulkhead frame and each threaded looking dog will move relatively to its looking arm toward or away from said bulkhead frame.

1 clO. A bulkhead closure oomprising a bulkhead frame, a closure member hinged thereto, a plurality of looking armsv hinged at spaced intervals around the rim of said closure means, drive means pivoted to said closure means, a threaded looking dog secured in each looking arm and adapted to engage said bulkhead frame to secure the closure means therein, and means i connecting said threaded looking dogs with said drive means whereby upon rotation of the latter each looking arm will be moved toward or away from said bulkhead frame and each threaded looking dog will move relatively to its looking arm toward or away from said bulkhead frame.

CHARLES E. AR'I'HUR. 

